After spending 6 days in police custody, Leon Soberanis was released yesterday evening. According to Soberanis, he was detained by police on Wednesday in San Ignacio Town for a warrant he had already served jail time for. He was later transported to Belize City at the Queen Street Police Station where he was told that he is wanted for the robbery of M&M's Construction on the Phillip Goldson Highway. But no charges were brought against Soberanis - even though he was detained for 6 days. Here is his story.
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"The police locked me up at Benque from Wednesday. They don't have anything on me but now they say I owe court and when I reached Belize City here they said I am wanted for some robbery. They didn't charge me for the robbery but after that they just hold be at the police station for so many days for a warrant they said I would have to go to jail and I know I have already did my time there."
Monica Bodden
"Yesterday I understand that you were sent up to Hattieville prison."
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"Yes, they sent me to jail. I already did my time at the jail. That warrant was already served and I told the police that I already served my warrant."
Monica Bodden
"So you spent 6 days locked up?"
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"Yes ma'am"
Monica Bodden
"For no reason?"
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"No reason."
Monica Bodden
"I understand when your family kept asking, what was happening No had any answers for them?"
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"Nobody. They just took me there. Nobody came to see me and don't know what was going on."
Monica Bodden
"You couldn't even get your food."
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"That's what they said."
Monica Bodden
"Yesterday, what time did they took you up to Hattieville?"
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"Like minutes to 4."
Monica Bodden
"What time were you released?"
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"Like about 5:30"
Monica Bodden
"So when you got to the jail, what did they say?"
Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days
"They said they can't hold me because that warrant is not good - what the court sent them that I had already done that time. So the jail released me and the police dropped me by the road side to catch a bus. I waited for a bus and came down. I really want the police to do their job good because they are harassing you. Sometimes I couldn't even sleep because they come and kicked open my door and break down my house. They have to do their job better and have the ghetto youths survive too because we want to live."
Soberanis plans on taking legal action against the police department.
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